Every day believers are faced with the temptation to say with their lips or express through their lifestyles what Peter said on the night that he denied the Lord three times - "I do not know the man."
 
The question we must personally ask ourselves is - "Is it I?"
Am I guilty of holding my Savior and Lord in total contempt before this world? Have I denied Jesus?  
 
Matthew 10:33 - "But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven."
Mark 8:38 - "Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of Me and of My words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of Him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when He cometh in the glory of His Father with the holy angels."
2 Timothy 2:12 - "If we suffer, we shall also reign with Him: if we deny Him, He also will deny us."

They will -
...disown any attachment that they have to Him
...be too proud to acknowledge their dependence upon Him for everything
...be ashamed of His person, character, doctrine, requirements, and holy standards
...set a greater value on earthly things rather than spiritual things
...prefer worldly interests to the interests of the kingdom of God.

He described them as being -
...gluttons and drunkards who yield to sensual appetites
...those who cater to the lust of the flesh  - "whose God is their belly"
...those who boast in or joke about  Sin - "whose glory is in their shame"
...those who continuously relish or are obsessed with worldly or earthly things - "who mind earthly things"
...those who live immoral lives, indulging in "out-and-out" sin

The answer lies in two portions of the above Scriptures - "before men" and "ashamed of Me and of My Words in this adulterous and sinful generation."
 
Many are afraid to stand up for Jesus. They are bound by a "fear of man." They do not want to suffer loss, be rejected, hated, ridiculed, scorned, called names, laughed at, lied on, or be cast out of another's company because of Him.
1 Peter 1:8 - It cannot be said of them what the Apostle Peter said concerning the believer loving Jesus - "Whom having not seen, ye love..."
 
They see man everyday face-to-face; they work shoulder to shoulder with him in the workplace; they do not see the Lord per se. So they try to please the one whom they see in the natural realm - "man."
 
They are "before men" and do not desire to be despised or frowned upon "before men."
On the job, they are "before men" who give them their paycheck at the end of the week.
Consequently,  they are determined to do their best "before men."
 
What they fail to realize is that what they do "before men" will be held in account some day "before God."
 
Deny Jesus "before men," and He will deny you "before My(His) Father which is in heaven." 

The Lord informed us that there would be those who would be "ashamed" of Him and His Words. What would cause this turning away in their hearts from Him and His teachings?
 
The answer lies in the setting in which they live - "this adulterous and sinful generation." It would be an age given to great wickedness, especially the sensual sins of the flesh. Perversion would be on every side. Fornication, adultery, as well as homosexuality would be considered by all as normal practices. Divorce would be rampant. Pornography, lewdness, and licentious behavior and dress would be acceptable.
 
Who would deny that we are now living in "this adulterous and sinful generation"?
Who would deny the fact that the demons of Lust are running rampant throughout our schools, neighborhoods, workplaces, and even our churches?  
 
And what are some "believers" doing about it? Rather than suffer reproach and contempt for being different, they are blending in. They don't want to be too extreme, termed a fanatic for Christ, or considered weird or eccentric. After all, it might cost them something to be labeled as one of those "Jesus Freaks." So they just go along with the filthy jokes, the vulgarity, and laugh along at the sexual innuendos.

Somehow the devil has deceived them. They have contracted spiritual amnesia. They have forgotten that every thought, word, and deed is being recorded by God - the Lord Jesus Himself. And some day soon, they will stand in judgment - not "before men" in "this adulterous and sinful generation." No! This time it will be before the Lord Himself - in the presence of His Father and the Holy Angels.
 
Perhaps the scene will develop like this -
Jesus will open up the Bible and turn to Matthew 10:33 and read - "But whosoever shall deny Me before men, him will I also deny before My Father Which is in heaven."
He will then turn to Mark 8:38 and read - "Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of Me and of My words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of Him also shall the Son of man be ashamed..."
Lastly, He will turn to 2 Timothy 2:12 and read - "If we suffer, we shall also reign with Him: if we deny Him, He also will deny us."
 
Then we can imagine that He will close the Book and turn to the Father and the Holy Angels and say - "I don't know this one who lived 'before men' and denied Me in the 'adulterous and sinful generation' in which I placed him(her)." 
 
At this point, He will turn to the one who denied Him and say the most heart-rending words - "Depart from Me, ye worker of iniquity. I never knew you."
 
Forever, this compromiser will be tormented in the literal flames of Hell because he chose to live "before men" in "this adulterous and sinful generation" and not live "before God"  - no matter what the cost!

The Apostle Paul admonished Timothy with these words in 2 Timothy 1:8 - "Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God." In other words, Paul told Timothy to expect afflictions for the Gospel's sake. They will surely come. But when they do occur, don't be ashamed of Christ because of them. Don't shrink back in fear of what men will do to you. By the "power of God," stand up for Jesus.
 
The key phrase in this verse is - "according to the power of God." We are to be a "partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God."
 
None can stand for Jesus in their own strength. No one can stand against the floods of filth and perversion in their own power. God has given provision. We can all be a "partaker of the afflictions of the gospel" "before men" in "this adulterous and sinful generation" "according to the power of God."
 
"According to the power of God," we can -
...boldly stand up for Jesus amidst the ridicule and the scorn
...outrightly speak out against all Sin
...live holiily and blamelessly, having a "conscience void of offense toward God, and toward men"(Acts 24:16)
...manifest a lifestyle that is pure, decent, honest, and dependable 
...make a difference in the very world in which we live - be "lights" shining in the darkest of places
...demonstrate to others that there is a way out of sin and perversion.
 
We don't ever have to be "ashamed" of Jesus and His words in "this adulterous and sinful generation."
We don't ever have to "deny" Him "before men."
"According to the power of God," we never need to be labeled as "the enemies of the cross of Christ," who live for this world and its pleasures.
"According to the power of God," we can be assured that we will never be denied by the Lord Himself on Judgment Day. We will never hear Him say to us - "I never knew you."  
 
"Be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel" "before men" in "this adulterous and sinful generation" "according to the power of God."

May God Bless His Word.
Connie